Two AAHS Band students and three AAHS Choir students have distinguished themselves by their participation in PMEA District 5 Band and Chorus. Marjorie Jarsulic and Elisabetta Pucci were selected to perform in PMEA District 5 Band held on January 24-26 at Beaver High School. Kamryn Rudolph, Molly Moore and John Barnhart were selected to perform with PMEA District 5 Chorus held on February 7-9 at Beaver High School. Each festival culminated with a public concert featuring the ensemble.

The Pennsylvania Music Educators Association (PMEA) is a statewide, nonprofit organization of over 4,500 members, dedicated to promoting the musical development of all Pennsylvanians. The present membership evolved from a small group of band directors dating from 1933. Today, the organization includes those engaged in music instruction at all levels, from preschool through college and university, as well as those in the music industry, merchandising and publishing. The organization promotes and supports quality music education, learning and performance as well as promoting and supporting music education in schools and communities. PMEA is affiliated with The National Association for Music Education, NAfME. PMEA District 5 encompasses schools from Beaver, Butler, Lawrence and Mercer Counties.

On January 24, 2019, the Ambridge Area School District is pleased to announce all 10thgrade students will be administered the ASVAB-aptitude battery test free of charge at the Ambridge Area School District at 8:00 AM. The test lasts approximately 3 hours and will be conducted during the school day at Ambridge Senior High School. The ASVAB is a multiple-aptitude battery test that measures developed abilities and helps predict future academic and occupational success, as well as career measures and occupational career pathways. Areas of testing include General Science, Arithmetic Reasoning, Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension, Mathematic Knowledge, Electronic Information, Auto and Shop Information, and Mechanical Comprehension. All testing areas are listed at http://www.official-asvab.com/subtests_coun.htm.

Once the exam has concluded, all students participating on the test will receive a Career Exploration Guide alongside their individualized test results from the January 24, 2019 testing session. This guide includes an interest inventory that will help students use their interests and ASVAB scores to explore both civilian and military occupations and identify areas of strengths in the occupational field. Interpretation of test scores, strengths, aptitudes and abilities will also be reviewed with your student on February 27, 2019 at the High School. Students are encouraged to ask questions at this time to explore their results further in the fields of interests.

As a reminder, ASVAB participants are not under any obligation to the military after taking the exam. Scores or exam results will not be used, shared or retained for any recruiting purposes unless indicated in the 10thgrade year, and will not be held on file. Results are used for exploratory purposes in the 10thgrade year at this time.

A parent nightwas held on Jan. 15, 2019 at the Ambridge Senior High School from 6-8 PM. Mike Kistler, ASVAB district coordinator,was on hand to discuss the ASVAB test, format and layout as well as benefits of taking the exam as a student the 10thgrade year. A powerpoint of his presentation is attached for your review here.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact: Chelsea Benedict, Ambridge School District Counselor at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377. For more information, please visit the official website at http://www.official-asvab.com/.

We are pleased to announce this opportunity for your student here at Ambridge Senior High School and appreciate your support of your student through their journey through High School. As tenth grade students are enrolled for the ASVAB exam, if you would like for your student to be excused from the ASVAB testing, the following documentation is required to be signed and turned into Mrs. Misencik in the Guidance Office by January 18, 2019.

The Preliminary SAT 10 will administered to all 10th grade students on March 19, 2019 at the Ambridge Senior High School. The PSAT 10 is the second test in the SAT Suite of Assessments to help prepare your student for future SAT testing. Tightly aligned with SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, the PSAT 10 establishes a baseline for college and career readiness. The PSAT 10 supports all students with early feedback on the skills and academic knowledge that matter most for college and career success. The PSAT 10 also helps students determine what they need to work on academically in order to prepare for college upon graduation from high school.

Additionally, the PSAT 10 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT — It measures what they are already learning, shows them whether they are on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. That means students have time to tackle these areas long before they take the SAT or upon high school graduation. Students over 13 can share their scores with Khan Academy® to create a personalized practice experience. It’s the best way to prepare for other tests in the SAT Suite of Assessments, and the KHAN academy is free. Additionally, the PSAT 10 gives each student personalized feedback about his/her academic strengths and weaknesses, ability to see future predicted scores on the SAT to date, while helping each student to prepare for success in college and careers alongside their educators. In addition:

Educators will have an early opportunity to:

·Measure and follow student performance

·Ensure students are on target to achieve college and career readiness

·Pinpoint areas for academic development

·Identify students who have the potential to be successful in Advanced Placement courses

Every student who takes the PSAT 10 is given access to multiple online resources that provide FREE personalized SAT preparation, as well as college and career planning tools. These resources include:

Any questions please feel free to direct to the Guidance Office at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377. Any student wishing to opt-out of the exam is required to pick up a form in Guidance and return to Mrs. Misencik in the Guidance Office by January 23,

We are excited to offer this opportunity free of charge during the 2019 school year and appreciate your support of this assessment as your student continues their journey through their High School years and beyond. Students, we hope you will put forth your best effort on test day, to allow us to support your unique needs on your journey toward college and career success.

The Preliminary SAT 8/9 will be offered to all 9th grade students on March 12, 2019 at the Ambridge Senior High School. The PSAT 8/9 is the first test in the SAT Suite of Assessments. Tightly aligned with SAT and PSAT/NMSQT, it establishes a baseline for college and career readiness. The PSAT 8/9 supports all students with early feedback on the skills and knowledge that matter most for college and career success. The PSAT 8/9 also helps students determine what they need to work on academically in order to prepare for college and career success upon graduation from High School.

Additionally, the PSAT 8/9 tests the same skills and knowledge as the SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, and PSAT 10—It measures academics and what they are learning, shows them whether they are on track for college, and lets them know where they need the most improvement. Students over 13 can share their scores with Khan Academy® to create a personalized practice experience. It’s the best way to prepare for other tests in the SAT Suite of Assessments, and the Khan Academy is free. Additionally, the PSAT 8/9 gives each student personalized feedback about his/her academic strengths and weaknesses, thus helping each student to prepare for success in college and careers. Additionally:

Educators will have an early opportunity to:

·Measure and follow student performance

·Ensure students are on target to achieve college and career readiness

·Pinpoint areas for academic development

·Identify students who have the potential to be successful in Advanced Placement courses.

Every student who takes the PSAT 8/9 is given access to multiple online resources that provide FREE personalized SAT preparation, as well as college and career planning tools. These resources include:

·A PSAT 8/9 score report that includes detailed answer explanations.

·A PSAT 8/9 Score that includes future prediction of SAT test achievement and scores to date.

For further information, a parent night was held on January 15, 2019 at Ambridge Senior High School from 6-8 PM: Title I: Understanding the benefits of the ASVAB, PSAT 8/9 and PSAT 10. The cost of the test per student is $11.00. Checks, cash or

money orders can be made payable to the Ambridge Area School District and submitted to Mrs. Misencik in the Guidance Office by January 23, 2019. Ms. Benedict, School Counselor,enteredthe 9thgrade classrooms the week of January 7, 2019

to speak with the students and review the benefits of taking the exam. Please direct any questions to the Guidance Office at 724-266-2833, ext. 2377. All sign-ups are due by January 23, 2019.The powerpoint is available here.

We appreciate your support and are excited to be able to offer this assessment as your student continues on his/her journey through High School and beyond. Students, we hope you will put forth your best effort on test day, to allow us to support your unique needs on your journey toward college and career success.

Coming hot off their 72-67 win over Quaker Valley, the Ambridge Varsity Boys’ Basketball team received some even more exciting news that could set the momentum for the team as it moves toward the playoffs. The Wright Field House – which has been closed for games since January 2018 due to safety issues with the bleachers – will be reopened in time for the Tuesday, Jan. 22 home game against Central Valley.

The Field House originally closed after the bleachers failed a safety check by the company which installed them originally. At the time, the District was advised by the bleacher manufacturing company that the bleachers would need to be completely replaced at an estimated cost of $400,000. Recently, an alternative repair became available to the District at a cost of $5,000, said Superintendent Dr. Jo Welter.

Athletic Director Mr. Brian Miller said the solution to fixing the existing bleachers came at a recent WPIAL athletic directors’ meeting, when it was suggested that the bleachers could be adequately stabilized for use without total replacement. L-shaped metal plates were installed to support the bleachers, and were secured by 250 bolts. The method was approved by the bleacher manufacturer, Mr. Miller said. Once the work is finished, it will be inspected by the company.

In order to make the repair work, the bleachers will not be able to be closed and will have to remain open at all times. The fix was applied only to one side of the bleachers, so the opposite side of the bleachers will remain unavailable for use. Because the bleachers will need to remain open, it also will reduce the number of available courts in the Field House from three to two. In addition to the bleacher stabilizers, the center court also was refinished.

“It was a great effort on the part of the athletic director and administration to get the Field House reopened for the kids,” said Dr. Welter. “We’re pleased to be able to get this iconic facility reopened in time for our team to finish out the season.”

The 14th Annual Mr. Ambridge Pageant was held on Thursday evening at the high school auditorium.The competition raised more than $3,000 for the McGuire Memorial Home.

Jacob Dunlap was crowned winner of the 2019 pageant, and was also named the show's "Best Talent" for his piano performance.Thomas Holcomb was named first runner-up, and Corey Shaffer won enough votes from the audience to be named "Mr. Congeniality."

The show was a senior project by Lydia Ciani and Marissa Hooks. Dunlap and Holcomb, the show's cash winners, donated their prizes back to the McGuire Memorial Home, as did the winner of the 50/50 drawing.

It’s through the generosity of people like you that assist in making every Christmas season joyful and memorable! Every gift received is always wrapped with care. To see how their eyes light up when they gaze at the tenderly placed bows, or discover a hidden treasure within their package is indescribable. The Photos that you see will hopefully convey their appreciation to your thoughtfulness during this Holiday Season.

Thank you for keeping the folks at McGuire Memorial in your thoughts and prayers!